CHAPTER 22

          Ava brought his mouth back down to hers.

“A bed would be extremely nice,” she murmured throatily.

“That’s usually where this happens first,” Federico said, nuzzling against her neck. “I don’t think we’ve been together in a bed before.”

“Then it’s about time we did something about that,” she whispered, sliding her hands down his chest as she popped each button on his shirt.

          Federico shrugged himself out of it, and, kicking it aside with his foot, scooped her up in his arms and carried her to a room several doors down. He shouldered the door open in a classical-hero sort of way that did serious damage to Ava’s heart rate. The mattress was soft, but he was rock-hard when he came down on top of her.

“You’ve got too many clothes on, Federico,” she said, tugging at his be